After her freshman season, goalie Caroline Lehman was on pace to break the school field hockey record for career saves.
However, it's now unlikely she will ever make another field hockey save again.
Lehman, who is not on the Ball State University field hockey team's roster this season, said doctors advised her to leave the team after suffering a spinal cord injury during spring practice.
"The doctors told me that it was severe enough, with the physical needs of playing goalie, that I couldn't play anymore," Lehman said.
Lehman started every game for the Cardinals last season and had 135 saves, sixth most in school history for a single season. In addition, she had two shutouts in Ball State's final three games, including one against Miami University in the conference tournament semi-finals. That shutout helped the Cardinals advance to the Mid-American Conference championship game for the first time since 1999.
Lehman said shoulder and back problems originated early last season and continued throughout the entire season.
"Those kind of things build up over time," she said. "When I went home to the doctor [last spring], they told me to go straight into therapy."
Lehman said she has been regularly seeing an orthopedic surgeon the last few months, and her injuries have been healing through the physical therapy.
"My back doesn't get tired as quick as it used to," she said. "I need to be in therapy to manage the pain and the symptoms."
Currently Lehman is attending Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania and said she will not return to Ball State as a student or to play field hockey. Lehman said she made the difficult decision to leave field hockey this summer after consulting her doctor.
"I've been playing since first grade, so I didn't take it lightly," she said. "It wasn't a decision I wanted to make."
Since leaving the Ball State field hockey team, coach Anette Payne has declined to comment about Lehman and why she left the Cardinals.
"I'd prefer not to speak on that," Payne said.
Lehman said there isn't a problem between Payne and her, and she hasn't spoken to her former coach since initially telling Payne she wouldn't return for the 2007 season.
However, Lehman said she doesn't know why Payne refused to comment on her situation.
"I think right now they are just focusing on the team and the new year," she said. "I don't think there's anything wrong with the way she's done it."
Gail DuBov, Lehman's grandmother, said she doesn't know why Payne declined to disclose Lehman's injury. Recently, DuBov contacted the Daily News because she said Payne's lack of comment was leading the public to believe her granddaughter got into trouble off the field.
"She is a good kid," DuBov said. "I just wanted to clear things up."
Lehman said she is planning to transfer to Millersville University, located in Pennsylvania this spring, but it's unlikely she will play field hockey at the school.
Lehman said her family has helped her through the therapy and her difficult decision.
"My parents have been supportive of my decision not to play," Lehman said.
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